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Prominent Careers In Fashion Industry

By Gaurav, Section Jobs And Careers
Posted on Mon Jan 22, 2007 at 01:44:37 AM EST

Fashionthemselves designers from in India India and have the been world making for some a name now for .

During the last one year, the fashion business has come into its own and it is now being seen as an industry. Although fashion is a serious business in many countries across the globe, in India it is still in its infancy, but definitely has strong potential.

The fashion industry is a fast-paced, increasingly complex world that integrates creativity, design, business, and technology. As a growth industry, fashion is certain to provide many future career opportunities.The variety of opportunities in the industry attracts people with many different interests, goals and abilities. Some career fields require artistic creativity and originality, while others require business know-how and management skills.

Attributes
Learning to become a good, clear communicator by honing your written and public speaking skills facilitates high-quality presentations to prospective clients/ customers. Basic knowledge in marketing, advertising and business is essential for working in the fashion industry. Business acumen and marketing skills, strong computer skills, whether the job involves spreadsheet work on MS Excel or artistic editing using software programmes such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator, are must-have attributes. Specialised professional skills in painting, drawing, or photography are necessary for positions where hands-on creative work is integral to the fashion design process.

THE OPPORTUNITIES
The word 'fashion' is associated with designing of clothes, but fashion careers exist in the areas of art and design, communication and presentation, as well as in business and technology.

Fashion designers create designs for clothes, accessories, footwear, lingerie, sportswear, children's garments etc. Just a few designers produce their own collections or work for haute couture (high fashion) firms, which design one-off garments for individual customers. Aspiring fashion designers must be artistic and creative with an eye for colour, texture and pattern, possess good drawing skills, practical skills for producing clothes, be able to communicate ideas through sketches or computer-aided images, work out costs and budgets and, if freelancing, be able to market their own work,negotiate with clients and buyers, as well as handle the business. Entry into the industry without formal training would be difficult, but for those who are very talented and have an exceptionally good portfolio, ambition and perseverance, it may be possible.

Accessory designers conceptualise and create designs for footwear, handbags, ties, belts, hats, gloves etc to go with your attire. Jewellery designers are usually categorised under the gem and jewellery industry. In addition to the skills of fashion designers, they should possess technical skills in working with materials required for the chosen specialty like leather, faux leather etc for gloves, footwear, belts and so on.

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TRAINING

PROSPECTS

INSTITUTIONS

Costume designers work mainly for films, television and theatre. They research and design authentic period, country or social class costumes. They create sketches of costumes and develop costume budgets for the entire production.Skills are the same as for fashion designers.

Fashion merchandising concentrates on the planning, procurement and sales aspects of the fashion business. Fashion merchandisers combine the skills of advertising, retail knowledge, marketing and the creativity of a fashion designer. To survive and thrive, they need to have self-confidence, good judgement, resourcefulness, enthusiasm, motivation, attention to detail, a genuine interest in the fashion market and the desire to live in a fast-paced world.

Boutique owners are either trained in fashion design, apparel merchandising, marketing or fashion management. They may also be MBAs.To be a successful boutique owner, one has to be entrepreneurial and driven, possessing a combination of savvy business skills and indepth knowledge of the fashion retail industry.

Fashion stylists bring to life a photographer or director's vision for a fashion photo shoot, layout, fashion shows and events, music video, commercial, print advertisement etc. They create the mood for the shoot by selecting and setting up the appropriate props, fashions, accessories and even models to fit the theme of the shoot. Stylists may be employed by magazines, newspapers, retailers, advertising agencies, television and music production companies, but most of them freelance.

Fashion journalists/ critics writers produce editorial copy for fashion magazines, newspapers, fashion design websites or blogs, and for television. They may be trained in fashion communication, fashion merchandising, fashion management or fashion design or be journalists with knowledge in fashion.

Fashion photographers conceptualise and shoot photos and/ or videos to present clothes and accessories in an appealing manner.They must have an eye for style and beauty and be skilled at working with their models to achieve the best possible poses and photos. Most of them work as freelancers. They may have developed their talent through amateur photography, short courses in photography, fine art or fashion training, but have mainly been selftaught, as formal courses are few.

TRAINING
There are vocational courses at polytechnics and vocational training institutes after class 10, specialised courses at professional institutes after 10+2 and postgraduate training in specialised fields for graduates from various disciplines. Admission into the reputed institutions is based on written aptitude tests, which may be followed by studio/ situation tests for the creative professions and personality assessment (group discussion and interview) for managerial/ merchandising/ allied programmes.

PROSPECTS
Fashion designers mostly work for clothing manufacturers or exporters designing clothes for the mass market. Fashion/ Apparel merchandisers are employed as retail buyers or managers, merchandisers for apparel manufacturers, retailers, design studios etc. Prospects are currently very bright for those who wish to work in the fashion industry.

Employment opportunities for costume designers depend largely upon the entertainment industry. As demand for films, television shows and theatre grow and the productions become increasingly rich in design and costume, demand for costume designers should follow.

The pay-off for a fashion career can be glamour and excitement, but it can be a long, hard road with no guarantees of fame and fortune. A passion for fashion, a real burning desire to work in the industry, the capacity to live it, breathe it, and think it constantly, is the best formula for survival and success in this fickle industry.

INSTITUTIONS
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) (www.niftindia.com)

National Institute of Design (www.nid.edu)

Pearl Academy of Fashion (www.pearlacademy.com)

NIFT-TEA Knitwear Fashion Institute,Tirupur(www.nifttea.com)

Apparel Training & Design Centre (www.aepcindia.com)

Premila Vithaldas Polytechnic, SNDT, Mumbai (www.sndt.ac.in)

Sophia Polytechnic, Mumbai (www.sophiacampus.com)

School 0f Fashion Technology, Pune(www.softpune.com)

Nirmala Niketan, College of Home Science & Polytechnic, 49 New Marine Lines, Mumbai-400020

SASMIRA's Institute of Man-Made Textiles, Mumbai (www.sasmira.org)
(Listing is indicative)

From:- The Education Times, 22/01/07

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